The holiday season is a popular time for shopping. However, you might see your sales drop off after the new year. Fortunately, you can help extend holiday sales momentum into 2022 by following a few simple strategies.
In this article, we’ll cover why it’s essential to keep your momentum going after the holiday season. Then, we’ll provide four easy tips to help you maintain your sales rate. Let’s get started!
The Importance of Keeping Sales Momentum High
You probably don’t need us to tell you that making more sales is a good thing. However, it’s not just about the volume. You might also want to find ways to prolong that sales pattern well after the holidays.
There are a few reasons for this. One example is financial security. Keeping momentum high means spreading out your sales more. This sustained income can help you plan your budget better.
By the same token, sales momentum can also help you make the most of your inventory. This is especially true if you end up buying more stock than you needed during the holidays. A sustained purchase rate means you can move those products even after the season finishes.
Finally, extending your sales rate can also help your brand stand out. When customers shop in several different stores, they may not remember yours after the fact. However, this perspective can change if you offer consumers reasons to come back after the holiday rush.
How to Extend Your Holiday Sales Momentum Through 2022 (4 Tips)
If you’re looking to maintain an audience through the new year, here are a few tips that you might want to consider.
1. Collect as Many Reviews as Possible
Reviews are important parts of any online store—after all, displaying them is the easiest way to show that your product works and can be trusted. However, you might want to be particularly active in collecting testimonials for the post-holiday season.
There are a few reasons for this. For one thing, purchases will likely be up for your store at this time of year. Thus, you have many opportunities to boost the number of available reviews.
Displaying testimonials can also take advantage of customers who delay their purchases. Many people look for deals after the holidays. Reviews of your products can help them feel more confident about their choices.
Moreover, this approach can also bring loyal customers back for more purchases. Asking for reviews shows that you care about their opinions. It also reminds them of your store, meaning they may see new deals and buy more items.
That’s why we recommend trying to collect as many reviews as possible. One easy way to do this is by offering an incentive such as a gift card:
Not only will this incentive increase the number of reviews, but offering a gift card means winners will spend what they win in your store. Just remember to encourage honesty above all else—even if a few reviews are negative, you can build customer trust by being transparent about them.
2. Plan Ahead for a Post-Holiday Sale
You’re probably already running holiday sales to boost your conversion rate. Nevertheless, the deals don’t have to end there. Extending your cheaper offerings can also help increase your holiday sales momentum.
This is true for one big reason: some people might have to spend a lot of money during holiday celebrations. As such, they may still have tighter budgets come January. Therefore, offering sales during this time can help attract this demographic.
When running these sales, try not to focus on moving inventory alone. Selling outdated Christmas decorations might help clear out your stock, but post-holiday shoppers may not be interested. Consider offering discounts on your more evergreen items instead.
If you really want to lean into this strategy, consider taking a page from Amazon’s book. The e-commerce giant runs an event called Prime Day every year. The company uses this sale to offer low prices and score more purchases:
You might want to create your own event in the post-holiday months. Doing this can give your shoppers something to look forward to even after the season has passed.
We highly recommend planning this event. Not only will this give you time for marketing, but it will also help you better predict how much inventory you’ll need. This preparation can help prevent any products from being out of stock.
3. Check in With Your Analytics
Your store analytical data is an essential tool year-round. Furthermore, this information can be beneficial for driving purchases after the holidays. By understanding your past sales trends, you can look for ways to bump them in the future.
For example, you could use these statistics to find your most popular products. You may then want to consider moving a few of those items to post-holiday sales only. That way, you know which high-value products people will likely wait to purchase.
Another helpful metric might be the date where purchases tend to drop off. If you know the general lifespan of holiday sales, you can take precautions to extend them when they most need it. If you can identify when most customers lose interest, you can spend more marketing resources around that time.
You may also want to check in with your suppliers. Running out of inventory post-holiday season can severely limit your potential profits. Try to see if there were any times when your stock got dangerously low. Then, consider putting in an advance order for more products next time around.
Finally, try not to forget about digital advertising trends. Past data is helpful, but knowing the current shopping statistics can help ensure that your marketing stays relevant.
4. Give Customers Plenty of Opportunities to Return
Finally, current customers can be valuable sources of income. Previous positive experiences mean that consumers may be more likely to return. Making that process as easy as possible can help encourage repeat business.
For example, consider following up on purchases customers made during the holidays. You can suggest matching products or simply ask for reviews. This small contact can help your brand stay at the top of a shopper’s mind.
You might also want to consider offering a favorites list. Not everyone will want to buy gifts for themselves during the holiday season. By giving consumers the option to save products, you can help them easily return afterward.
You can even take this a step further with a reorder function:
Finally, try not to forget about the effectiveness of email marketing all year round. Use regular messages to advertise post-holiday sales, layaway offers, or discounts in the new year. The more informed your customers are, the more likely they will come back.
Conclusion
The holiday season offers countless opportunities to make more sales. However, extending that momentum to the new year can make the most of the shopping season. Fortunately, you can increase your post-holiday sales by using a few simple tips.
Do you have any questions about how to extend your sales momentum into 2022? Let us know in the comments section below!
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